Ben had trained in Transformation magic and had reached an advanced level in just one day. Having an A.I. Chip to find his mistakes was really helpful. The A.I. Chip had also finished the new defensive spell formula, and Ben trained with it the next day.
"Wendy, I want to try a new defensive spell. Can you try to attack it?" Ben asked.
"What spell do I need to use?" Wendy inquired.
"Any spell. You can use it to train too," Ben replied.
"Okay," Wendy agreed.
Ben then took some distance from Wendy and prepared his magic power. He flowed his magic power all over his body and clapped his hands.
"Sun Dragon's Plasma Sphere!" Ben exclaimed.
A big red-yellow magic circle appeared below his feet. Then, a spherical plasma energy barrier surrounded Ben. The barrier's diameter was 3 meters, but Ben could increase it to 5 meters with more magic power.
The energy barrier was actually a full sphere, but the rest of it was inside the ground. It cut through the ground, but it was so thin that the cut didn't seem apparent. Even though it was thin, the barrier should be strong enough to defend him from big magic attacks.
"Now, Wendy!" Ben commanded.
"Sky Dragon's Roar!" Wendy shouted.
Wendy used her roar attack on the barrier, and the clash created a booming sound. Ben used the A.I. Chip to inspect the barrier and collect data. The barrier shook, but it could hold the roar attack. Ben increased his MP output, and the shaking stopped.
"Okay, that's enough," Ben said.
Wendy stopped her attack, and Ben dispelled his barrier.
"How is it?" Wendy asked.
"Hmm, the barrier's strength is decent, depending on the MP amount. However, it is rather hot inside the barrier; I need to work on that. It is very good to cover all sides at once in case of wide area attacks. But it is not good for small area attacks that usually have more power," Ben explained.
Spreading the defense on all sides made the barrier weaker than concentrating on one point. But it was good enough for now; he could work on that later. The spell had just been created, after all, so it wouldn't be perfect. At least it could provide some protection from wide area attacks.
"I can control the size, so it should be good for any kind of place. Hmm, but a narrow space will make the spherical size ineffective. A.I. Chip, let's work to make the shape flexible!" Ben commanded.
"Understood," the A.I. Chip responded.
The spell still needed some improvement, but it was good enough for now.
"Hmm, Wendy also didn't have defensive spells. Maybe all Dragon Slayers are like this. Alright, let's make a defensive spell for her," Ben decided.
"We can use your spell as the base and make it more suitable for her wind element," the A.I. Chip suggested.
"Yeah, I think so too. She has a spell that makes her rotate the wind around her like a barrier, but that's a requirement for her secret art. The rotating wind seems to be a good defense; let's use it," Ben planned.
"Then, I need to scan the spell," the A.I. Chip said.
"Alright," Ben agreed.
"Wendy, can you use your secret art?" Ben asked.
"Eh? Why?" Wendy questioned.
"There's something that I want to see," Ben replied.
"Alright," Wendy agreed.
Wendy then prepared her magic power and opened her hands. A rotating wind barrier surrounded Ben and Wendy. Then, a magic circle appeared below Wendy's feet. The A.I. Chip recorded and scanned the entire process to gather data, and Ben also evaluated it.
"Dragon Slayer Secret Art! Shattering Light: Sky Drill!" Wendy declared.
Wendy created a strong horizontal whirlwind to attack Ben. Ben covered his right hand with plasma and took a stance.
"Sun Dragon's Shattering Fist!" Ben shouted.
Ben punched the whirlwind from below and directed it into the sky. Both spells dispersed in the sky, so there was no damage on the surface.
"Your magic has gotten stronger, Wendy. I couldn't feel it before because of the barrier, but when I confronted it directly, I could feel the improvement," Ben smiled.
"Really? Yeay, I did it, Carla, Bella," Wendy exclaimed happily but then fell because she was exhausted.
"But it seems your energy hasn't risen that much," Ben observed.
"Uuu," Wendy pouted.
"Don't worry, you can train it slowly; there's no need to rush it. Enjoy your time; you won't be a kid forever, so enjoy it to the fullest!" Ben reassured Wendy and patted her head.
"Yes," Wendy replied.
"Now, you two also need to train," Ben addressed Bella and Carla.
"Yes," Bella and Carla responded.
Ben trained Bella and Carla in their flying magic, focusing on sharp maneuvers and increased agility. He hadn't taught them new magic but concentrated on enhancing their flying abilities. He also provided them with basic magical knowledge to strengthen their magic.
He trained their flying ability by making them fly among the trees and branches. Then, he used rubber balls to attack them while they flew, and they needed to avoid the branches and balls during flight. This was still basic training, and Ben had prepared the next level to be used when they were ready.
They completed some training that day to prepare for their upcoming job. The next day, they received a job from Roubaul to deliver some packages from Oshibana to Shirotsume.
"Delivery?" Ben questioned.
"Yeah, some people are targeting the package, so the client asked for mage help. The client is a merchant in Oshibana, and he wants to send the packages to his colleague in Shirotsume," Roubaul explained.
"Hmm, so rather than asking us to guard him on his way to Shirotsume, he asks us to send it by ourselves?" Ben inquired.
"Well, you can ask them about their reasons later," Roubaul suggested.
"Fine," Ben agreed.
Ben set out with his team after receiving the guild job letter from Roubaul. They traveled to Oshibana in their car through the forest, arriving after half an hour. They went to the merchant's house, showed their letter to the guards, and entered to meet the merchant.
In the merchant's office, Joseph Brigold, a 43-year-old man and CEO of a big jewelry company in Fiore, explained the job.
"Alright, I've confirmed your identities. Now, for the job, it is to send my son to Shirotsume," Joseph stated.
"Hey, you never said the package is a human. This won't be a delivery job but an escort job," Ben protested.
"Yes, I know that, so I apologize for it. But I made it a delivery job to fool those who target my son. They won't care if it's just an item delivery job because their target is Arthur. I will increase the pay, so please accept the job," Joseph explained.
"Who's the enemy? I will give my answer based on that. I won't risk my team's safety if it's too dangerous," Ben asserted.
"I understand. The enemy is my brother; he is trying to take over the company by targeting my son
. My son will marry his fiancée, the daughter of Shirotsume's mayor. My brother sees this as a threat because this marriage will increase my power in the company," Joseph revealed.
"Let me guess, he has tried to assassinate Arthur before but failed. So now he might hire some mages to do the job, that's why you also hired mages to protect your son," Ben deduced.
"Y-yes, you're right," Joseph admitted.
"Sigh, what a cliché plot," Ben commented.
"S-so how is it? From your guild letter, it is said that you're a strong mage and have the power of A-Class. That's why I think you can handle this job," Joseph said.
"A-CLASS?!" Arthur exclaimed.
The others were also surprised, as Ben was still a 12-year-old kid. They never thought that he was already an A-Class mage.
"The problem is not me, but my team. I took them because I thought this could be a training job for them, but it turns out to be more serious," Ben pointed at Wendy and the cats.
"T-then you won't take it? Sigh, it seems we need to halt it again. I'm sorry, Arthur," Joseph apologized.
"It's okay, Father. We can post a job with lower risk; that's why it's normal for mages to refuse," Arthur reassured.
"Hmm? Again? So we're not the first one?" Ben questioned.
"No, you're the third already now. The previous mages refused because it's too risky," Arthur revealed.
"Well, if the enemy tries to kill you, they'll hire mages from Dark Guild. Those guys won't hesitate to kill, and usually, they have dangerous magic," Ben explained.
"U-uhm, do you love your fiancée?" Wendy asked.
"Hehe, yeah, of course. We are childhood friends and have known each other for a long time. So this marriage isn't arranged; we love each other," Arthur answered.
"I understand. Then we will accept this job," Wendy declared.
"Huh?" Everyone exclaimed.
"O-oi, Wendy, I am the team leader, you know. So I am the decision-maker," Ben protested.
"Ben nii-san, please help them. They're so pitiful," Wendy pleaded, looking at Ben with puppy eyes.
Ben had a dark expression and took a step back.
"I-i... *gulp* I-i'll take the job," Ben slumped, defeated by the puppy eyes.
"YEAY," Wendy cheered.
"REALLY? HAHAHA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH," Joseph expressed his gratitude.
Wendy, Joseph, and Arthur celebrated, but Ben felt depressed. He just couldn't say no to those puppy eyes.
"Damn, I'm so weak," Ben cried dramatically.
"Don't worry, we know your feeling," Carla and Bella comforted Ben by patting his head.